High School Football All Season

As part of the past re-leaguing cycle a new version of the Miramonte League was reborn.

The big benefactor is Pomona, which moves from being a contender for the Valle Vista title to the power of the Miramonte League,

The Red Devils are the clear favorite in the new league, which includes La Puente, Bassett, Garey and Ganesha.

Pomona, which went 10-2 and finished second in the Valle Vista League last season en route to a quarterfinal finish in the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division, returns several key pieces, including quarterback Darreon Lockett and All-CIF receiver/defensive backs Desmond Bobo and Shawn Wilson,

XTRA XTRA!

Look for the Prep Xtra keepsake magazine in your print edition of the paper on Friday, Aug. 29, 2014.

All signs point to dominance for the Red Devils. But they could be challenged by La Puente, which moves over from the Montview League. The Warriors, who return a strong nucleus as well, have been very competitive the past few seasons.

“You have to play games,” La Puente coach Scott Morrison said. We know Pomona comes in highly celebrated. We expect them to be tough, but all the teams are working hard.

“We have our work cut out for us, but our focus is on ourselves. We just want to play at a very high level and execute on Friday.”

Bottom line: The Red Devils are loaded and look like the team to beat in not only the Miramonte League, but the Mid-Valley Division as well. They willl create matchup problems for opponents with Bobo and Wilson, which in turn should add to the prowess of Lockett and Lua.

Bottom line: Last season was one to forget for the Vikings. But with the return of eight impact players, including Sebastian and Jackson, big improvement is expected. The question is how much.

IMPACT PLAYERS

Darreon Lockett, Pomona, QB, Jr.

Lockett is the top returning quarterback in the league, if not the Mid-Valley Division. He keyed Pomona’s resurgence last season by accounting more than 2,000 yards and 26 touchdowns. He threw for 1,171 yards and ran for 995. He’s a big reason why most expect the Red Devils to be San Dimas’ chief competitor in the Mid-Valley chase.

Desmond Bobo, Pomona, DB, Sr.

Bobo is arguably the top athlete in the league. He’s a special player who had a special season in 2013. He earned All-CIF Mid-Valley Division honors after securing 45 tackles and seven interceptions. The senior, who is also an elite college prospect, is also productive on offense, catching 33 passes for 636 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.

BEST OF THE REST

Shawnee Wilson, Pomona, Sr., WR/DB — Division 1 college recruit

Manny Lua, Pomona, Sr., RB — Moves into the top RB role in 2014

Brian Torres, Pomona, Sr., LB — Led the Red Devils in tackles last season